Master of Arts in Mass Communications

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

If you’re interested in a career in forensic science, we have a crime scene for you! A unique mix of biosciences and criminal psychology, our degree course offers you the opportunity for practical forensic processing in our crime scene facility.

Technological advances have made the role of the forensic scientist – the expert who collects, preserves and analyses evidence - increasingly important in crime investigation, and also in other fields such as archaeology.

The course starts with an introduction to psychology and the sciences relevant to forensics, followed by more detailed applied forensics including the preparation of evidence for court, pathology, medical physiology and haematology. You’ll also study the most recent advances in DNA analysis, toxicology, criminal psychology, and fire and explosive analysis.

Why choose this course?

• The Forensic Science team includes international experts in the psychology of criminal behaviour and forensics experts from a variety of operational backgrounds
• Our teaching is rated as ‘Excellent’ by the QAA and the team is part of a highly experienced department that has run biological science courses for over 30 years
• You’ll study in a specialist forensic laboratory, with key laboratory skills incorporated into most of the taught units, especially your final-year research project
• You’ll learn the skills and techniques needed to evaluate a real-life crime scene in our scene-of-crime lab, designed to resemble an 'normal' flat
• There’s the option to take the course over four years and include a year’s work placement (see below) to gain experience and industry contacts
• If you’d like to step-up into higher education, you can take an introductory Foundation Year (see below), which guarantees entry to the Undergraduate course

    "Studying forensic science with Bedfordshire has been an awesome, inspiring experience, with lecturers who are specialists with industry experience in the areas they teach. I highly recommend anyone wishing to study this subject with Beds to 'Go 4 it'."

Economics lies at the heart of the modern world and understanding its influence is critical to both business success and effective policy-making. This course gives you the analytical skills you need to stand out as a business economist in a demanding career field.

Our Business Economics BSc (Hons) allows you to explore the global economic system – including the factors that influence income, wealth and wellbeing - and to apply your knowledge and insight to the contemporary business world. You will engage with the theory behind key economic decisions and develop your understanding of how societies, governments, businesses, households, and individuals allocate their resources.

Your studies cover the foundations of business economics including business practice, financial markets, accounting and finance, data analytics, and applied economics before moving into specific areas such as labour economics, globalisation and econometrics.

Why choose this course?

• Apply economic theory to real-world business problems, with the analytical skills and subject knowledge to discuss your ideas and conclusions confidently
• Develop your skills and experience in critical thinking, problem solving, presentation and team-working as well as in using information technology
• Put theoretical knowledge into practice in your final-year specialist project
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in industry (see below), building experience and making contacts for the future
• If you need to step up to higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees entry to the undergraduate degree

In following this Master’s course, you develop the essential knowledge, attributes and professional skills you need to pursue or further your career in operational forensic casework.

The forensic industry is highly competitive, requiring skilled professionals across diverse fields including pathology, toxicology, drug analysis, fire-debris analysis, wildlife crime, microbial forensics, forensic genetics and document analysis. This course prepares you to meet the needs of the industry and enter a career in areas related to civil and criminal investigation as well as wider science- or research-based positions.

On the course, you develop your theoretical understanding and practical experience alongside your skills in analysing and evaluating your findings. You also learn how to communicate these findings to a variety of audiences, including other scientists, the court and the media. Units may include forensic chromatography; evaluation and presentation of evidence; forensic spectroscopy; and biological advances.

Why choose this course?

•  Learn from staff with experience in operational forensic casework. Develop your practical skills through hands-on experience in our exceptional laboratory facilities, including a Scenes of Crime Laboratory.
• Study a course informed by the latest research, ensuring you are aware of current and emerging developments in this specialist field.
• Gain a qualification, the skills and the knowledge to meet the wide-ranging needs of the forensic and other science-based industries, making you well-placed to enter a career in a number of specialised fields.
• Develop strong research skills for form the basis of those required for study at PhD level. Benefit from the University’s strong links to external stakeholders in the forensic industry and related organisations and practice sectors.
• Take up career opportunities that could include forensic consultancies; government agencies; related industries; and research and development

This course allows you to develop a deep theoretical understanding and practical knowledge of tourism and aviation management. It will help you understand the changing nature of international tourism as it faces the challenge of rapid growth, emergence of new destinations, climate change, and the ethics of managing a business in which the prime attractions include the natural environment and people’s culture.

This innovative and interdisciplinary course provides you with a critical view of the broad range of global issues which affect how international tourism and aviation are organized and managed.

Topics include: management; heritage, cultural, social, environmental and political issues; and sustainable development.

This course will also provide you with a basic understanding of the nature, structure and organisation of the aviation and airport industry. It examines the key developments within aviation sectors and focuses on the component sectors of the industry and their operating characteristics.

The University of Bedfordshire is a member of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE). ATHE is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. It represents universities that are leading providers of tourism programmes.

Why choose this course?

Marketing graduates, with understanding of the dynamics of modern business marketing, are highly employable, and this professionally-accredited degree will ensure you are up-to-date with developments in communications, digital and social media as well as essential business functions like finance, HRM and operations.

Marketing embraces psychology, consumer behaviour, management, innovation, sociology and popular culture and is central to life in the 21st century.

After studying buyer behaviour, marketing data analysis, branding, competition, and media and communications, you will combine it all in practical assignments.

Why choose this course?

• Learn from staff with extensive industry experience as you engage with real marketing projects
• Study the latest marketing developments ensuring you graduate with up-to-date knowledge
• Develop your career opportunities with an optional placement and links to industry practitioners
• Gain knowledge of marketing and communications areas including management, marketing in contemporary contexts, marketing data and international business
• Explore a range of potential career options including sales, brand management, business development, market research, communications and customer liaison
• Benefit from studying a degree accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), with an optional placement (sandwich) year.

In each year of study, you will be involved in  practical marketing projects from real companies and you will interact with professional practitioners, allowing you to engage with theory and practice and encourage you to make links between your studies and workplace practice.

This provides you with an understanding of modern business marketing and will ensure that you are up-to-date with developments in communications, digital and social media, as well as business functions like finance, HRM and operations.

Our professionally-accredited course will provide you with the opportunity to take the Introductory Certificate in Marketing qualification awarded by the renowned Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), with further exemption opportunities for the CIM Professional Certificate and CIM Professional Diploma.

After graduation, this could provide a great way to start your marketing career and save you time and money towards your professional marketing qualification

This course is designed for non-computing graduates who need to apply information technology to their current career, or want to change career direction. It covers a wide range of topics including programming, databases, security, project management and computer networking, giving you both the underpinning theory and the ability to apply it to complex real-world problems, as well as an awareness of emerging technologies and developments.

Why choose this course?

• Study key areas of information technology including applications of web technologies, information systems strategy and emerging technologies
• Explore creative and innovative applications of technology  to real-world problems
• Develop your analytical, evaluative and problem-solving skills in relation to IT-based solutions
• Gain a thorough understanding of the social and legal aspects of the Information Technology field (e.g. British Computer Society Code of Conduct and Data Protection)
• Benefit from valuable experience of working on projects for real business, opening up new career opportunities in management, supervision or as a practitioner (eg database/IT developer or system designer/analyst) in industries which make substantial use of computers and information technology.

Our recent investment of £1m in a new Electronic Engineering lab demonstrates our commitment to this discipline, and means you will be able to use state-of-the-art equipment and enjoy top-tier teaching as you study.

You will develop skills in a number of areas, including analogue and digital electronics, signal processing, sensors, digital communications, software engineering and embedded programming.

And through a combination of theoretical learning and practical application, you will quickly became adept at solving real-world engineering problems.

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer

Why choose this course?
The course will provide you with academic and technical skills to analyse, interpret and make sense of electronic engineering. It will enable you to meet the demands of tomorrow’s electronic engineering.

• Learn skills in a number of areas, including analogue and digital electronics, signal processing, sensors, digital communications, software engineering and embedded programming
• Study using a combination of top-tier learning materials and hands-on practical experience
• Develop your knowledge and understanding of the commercial and economic contexts of engineering processes, and keep informed of emerging processes and technologies
• Gain a thorough awareness of the possible equality and diversity issues that exist in electronic engineering
• Explore the practical application of the computer software and hardware toolkits commonly used by electronic engineers
• Challenge yourself by analysing and solving real-world engineering problems
• Benefit from our well-established professional links with local and regional industry partners

This 2 year Master’s courses will give you the opportunity to be awarded a subject specific degree in Software Engineering and Applications with Project Management. The course will teach you the skills to become professional software developers and create applications with the latest emerging technologies.

If you want to solve real-world problems, evaluate advanced software engineering environments, and build complex software applications then this is the course for you.

The course will cover a range of topics including advanced programming to popular development platforms, open source frameworks, Big Data ecosystems Cloud Computing, and Project Management.

• 2-year subject specific degree with project management
• This course is ideal for Computer Science graduates and experienced programmers who want to solve real-world problems
• Development of advanced analytical and technical skills in core areas of software engineering, which include advanced programming, design patterns architecture patterns, data architectures, distributed and parallel systems, Hadoop, Cloud Computing and web services
• Development of professional skills in management of projects related to software engineering Achievement of critical understanding of core software engineering technologies, development platforms and related open source frameworks
• Acquire the skills related to research methodologies, ethics, and legal aspects, that is required for work within the areas of Computer Science.

This course gives you an advanced understanding of molecular biology, computational biology and microbiology alongside teaching you valuable skills in project management that you can apply to planning and organisational change.

Modern biotechnology is a hugely complex subject, drawing from a range of scientific fields. On this course, you learn the latest new technologies in key areas; gain insights into how they are used in the global biotechnology industry; and discover how microbes can be used on an industrial scale to benefit humankind.

You also hone your research skills with a laboratory-based project in one of five taught areas: molecular biology; computational biology; applied microbiology; analytical biology; and biomaterials.

The project management units explore the complexity of implementing plans and achieving change in organisations as well as the methods managers can use to overcome these obstacles.

Why choose this course?

• Study the latest developments in applied microbiology and computational biology in high-quality, broad-based classes taught by dedicated staff with research experience in specialist subject areas
• Explore the latest technologies in molecular biology and the industrial processes that are used to exploit microbes for specific products and applications
• Develop the ability to use information from relevant sources, and independently and critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship
• Gain the ability to use assured, accurate and fluent language to present your work, and learn to develop graphs and images that clearly illustrate complex points
• Benefit from a wide knowledge base and the key transferable skills that will give you the opportunity to take your career to new heights in the biotechnology and allied industries

The MBA (Marketing) is a flagship qualification designed to meet the needs and aspirations of early career individuals through the combination of a general management education with the specialist area of Marketing.

It is designed for individuals who want to develop both their management skills and new areas of business interest and those seeking fast track career progression opportunities.

This postgraduate degree aims to enhance your professional prospects by developing your capability to apply the latest thinking relating to organisational development and change in the competitive global context.

Successful completion of the MBA (Marketing) highlights your potential to have a real impact on the transformation of the organisation you join.

Our courses are designed to be engaging, attractive and flexible in the current global marketplace. There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Your course takes place over three semesters. Depending upon when you join the course, this will determine the order of units which you will study. You will benefit by beginning your studies with others who started at one of the earlier points of entry.

Why choose this course?

• The course adopts a practical and applied business curriculum and aims to develop an advanced knowledge of organisations and their effective management in the dynamic competitive global context, and the ability to creatively apply this knowledge and understanding to complex issues to systematically and innovatively enhance strategic business and management practice.
• This offers a challenging learning opportunity to encourage the integration of theory and practice supported by experienced academics with substantial management experience.
• You will work with academics and professors of practice on live consultancy projects with leading employers in organisations across private, public and not-for-profit sectors to support your personal and professional development as a creative and innovative leader with the knowledge and skills needed in the global, knowledge-based economy.
• You will develop the attributes and skills expected of post-graduates confirmed by partner industry bodies including the Chartered Management Institute and the Confederation of British Industry, including team-working, negotiation skills, leadership, confidence and the ability to apply critical and creative thinking to complex and unclear problems to develop innovative solutions.